The silence in the room was deafening, as Mia's eyes slowly moved off Zak to lock onto mine. Her appearance had changed drastically, but so had the look behind her eyes, as now it was twisted with pain and hurt.
"Recognise me? Do you?" She asks. "Because I can't recognise myself anymore!"
I step forward, but Zak's hand latches onto my wrist preventing me from moving further. Glancing back at him, I see his eyes wide, still locked onto Mia who is panting heavily.
"You..." She growls making me look back to her to see her eyes have shifted back to Zak. "You think I'd hurt her?"
"You destroyed my garden and terrified her and my dog. Yes I'd think you'd hurt her." Zak bites back.
Mia tilts her head "And why was I here? Did you tell her that?"
"I'm warning you-"
"What?!" She snaps. "What are you going to do?!"
I look at Zak, confused "What is going on?"
Since Mia had arrived, a tremendous amount of hate had been cast from her eyes in Zak's direction, she almost vibrated with hate but I didn't know why, surely this all didn't revert back to me. I'm missing something, something pretty fucking big.
"It's nothing babe." Zak says, squeezing my wrist. "Go into the bedroom. Mia shouldn't be here. At all."
"No, stay Elle. Stay and find out what your precious fucking Zak is really like. Maybe then you'll take him off the peddle stool you've put him on." She snarls.
I frown. "Someone better tell me what is going on right now? How did you get on the community? You're not allowed on here, at all?" I ask her before turning to Zak. "Why is she so mad at you?"
Mia's laugh stops Zak's words leaving his mouth. "He won't tell you the truth, the man is built on a lie! Go on Zak.. Speak."
I look to Zak who tries to turn me away from Mia completely. "Elle, baby.. Listen. You have to believe me when I tell you this isn't how I imagined it would pan out."
"Me either." Mia chirps.
"But I did it with good intention. Remember this morning? What I said?" He asks.
I nod at him. "You do everything with good intentions, out the goodness of your heart, in. My best interests, I get that. But what has happened here?"
"He threatened me." Mia says, making my head whip around.
"What?"
She nods "Came to me to warn me away, promised he would make my life hell."
"You came to me and I didn't mean it like that and you know it." Zak fires back.
"Then what did you mean?" I ask him.
Zak looks at me, desperation creeping into his features. "I meant that she wouldn't get a job in Vegas again. Elle you were so stressed out and your seizures were out of control. I wanted it to stop and the only way I knew how was removing the problem."
"Which is when he offered me money to get lost. Even offered to pay for a house out of the state, isn't that right Zak?"
"Stop twisting it, Mia!"
I look at Zak "Is that true?"
"I did it for you. I gave her money to get away from you but she then laughed in my face and began blackmailing me. She is the reason I'm on my phone all the time. Why I take it everywhere. It's her, demanding more money.."
This is the Karma.. The text message I deleted, wasn't from some side woman, it was Mia.. Blackmailing him.
"I lost everything." She growls from across the room. "The least you can do is pay for the damage you've caused. We were all fine until you came along!"
"Stop shouting." I tell her, looking at Zak again. "All this time?"
He lowers his head "Yeah.."
"How much?"
"I don't know.."
"Bullshit, Zak. How much?" I ask him again.
"Enough to have me on a healthy drug habit." Mia says making my head whip around, almost snapping my skull off my spine. "Oh you didn't tell her that either. What else are you keeping from her?"
"No.." I say looking at her arms as track marks become visible.
"No? You sound so surprised?"
"That day you came here..."
"High." She shrugs. "Someone was late for his payment...."
"So you terrorised me, for money? For drugs?"
"Yep." She answers. "Got him back in the state pretty fast. He was extra mad at our meet up. Weren't you Zak?"
"You're a manipulative bitch." He spits.
She cackles "No, I've adapted. I have a habit, it needs feeding and when I can't pay for that habit..."
I take a breathe looking between them, but despite what Zak has done, I can't help but feel sorry for him. All this, was born out of desperation, to keep me safe. Looking at Mia, I feel mourning for the woman she once was. Months had gone by, she had disappeared and now it makes sense, she was in the underbelly of Vegas. How many times had I drove past her? Got into a warm bed at night whilst she slept rough? Ate a meal where she ploughed poison in her veins? All because of Zak and his money? Of me?
"Why drugs?" I ask her.
"I have nothing else. Everything, gone."
"But you chose for that to happen. You chose to put that crap in your body."
She laughs "Even now, stood in front of the product he has created, you are blaming me."
"He didn't push the drugs into your system."
"No, he enabled it. He paid for it." She seethes. "Now I can't go a second without it! My skin crawls, my body needs it!"
"And that is why you are here? Now?"
"I warned him.. I told him I'd come here and tell you."
"What are you on about?" Zak asks as my stomach twists.
"I text you because you were naughty, you skipped the state before payment, this isn't how we do business, is it?"
"What text?" He asks. I look at him guiltily. "You saw the message, didn't you?"
"I deleted it too." I admit.
His eyes widen "You did what?"
"I thought it was something else! I-."
"You went onto my phone and checked it, don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do." I answer. "And I didn't check your phone. You were bidding on something and I put in a price, then the message came through and I panicked.. I deleted it. I'm sorry but I didn't want to lose you."
He steps forward "I'm not going anywhere, there is no one else, why is that hard to believe?"
"Because deep down, she's a fucking mess like the rest of us." Mia chimes.
"Shut up." I snap at her. "You've caused enough damage already."
"Elle..." Zak says quietly getting my attention again. "Why don't you believe me?"
"I-."
"Well first there was Cole, you know him. Asshole. Before him was a guy called Grayson, before that was Luke? Then Alex, he wasn't bad In the sack. He knew how to pull good string." Mia rattles off. I look at her when she smiles "What?"
"You are a complete mess." I tell her.
"Basically, Elles track record with men is shitty, all cheated on her and walked over her, because she hasn't got a backbone or self respect." Mia says hitting a sore spot in my body.
"I will throw you out the house in a minute.." Zak warns before looking down at me. "Is that true?"
I chew the inside of my cheek and nod.
"And you think it's going to happen again?"
"Wouldn't you?" I ask him. "I- there's a big difference between us.. You can't deny that."
"Can we move this along?" Mia sighs. "I'm here for money. Now."
"Fuck your money!" I snap causing her brows to lift. "How dare you?!"
"Me?! How about him? Your precious fucking boyfriend?! He did this, he did all of this!" She shouts. My body shifts in front of Zak when she surges forward pointing a finger at him. She scoffs "You would protect him?"
I look back at him before looking at Mia "Until my dying breath."
She looks shell shocked, and I can't look back to see Zak, but I know we have a lot to talk about. Mia looks between us, trying to gain some footing of what she can demand next, but whatever it is, it isn't happening.
"You're welcome to each other, give me the money and I'll be on my way."
"No." I tell her firmly. "You're not getting another dime out of Zak's money. He works hard for that and you are throwing it away. Hell no. You're not having shit."
"I need it!" She snaps.
"No you don't! You need help."
She laughs "I'm beyond that now! All because of him. Alcohol didn't blow out the pain but drugs does, I feel so relaxed, I float-."
"I don't care. You're not having any money from us."
"Then I'll take what I'm owed." She says.
I step forward. "This is our home. You will not touch a thing."
Mia's eyes shift into challenge. "You going to stop me?"
"With everything I have. I'll take you down Mia, don't think I won't." I warn her.
My warning falls on deaf ears and the second she grabs an item in Zak's home, I cross the room and yank it back. Setting it back down on the sideboard, but as I turn, a hard slap connects with the side of my face.
Heat blisters across my skin and the red mist descends over my eyes as I throw myself at her. When Zak tries to intervene, I yell at him to back off and get Gracie out. I'm grateful when he does.
Mia lashes out, trying to hit me as I pin her to the ground, but a few months on the streets had toughened her up, as she head butts me straight in the mouth.
"Stop it!" Zak shouts at us as we roll around his floor.
"Motherfucker!" I hiss and for the first time in years, I use my fists. The first collides with her jaw, it's weak but it's enough to infuriate Mia. I dodge her shot and throw another, this time connecting with her nose.
"That's for scaring Gracie!" I scream at her.
She hits back, smacking me in the side of the head, I lash out at her again, connecting. "That's for being a bitch!"
Mia bites my wrist, making me let go of her scruff, as I yelp, she hits me in the mouth. She is screaming something at me, but Zak's yells and my shouting makes it impossible to hear.
I kick and thrash out, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back, figuring if she is gonna bite, gloves are off. I can feel blood seeping from the side of my mouth, bringing my foot up, I shove it hard into her chest, sending her off me and back onto the floor.
"Elle, enough!" Zak shouts at me as I get up on shaky legs, adrenaline surging.
Mia is up too, but as I raise my fists, she charges and we both hit the floor again. When I finally get my back off the floor, rage fills my body and my fist tightens.
I swing, holding nothing back and giving every bit of pain and hate I've had since she hurt Zak. "That's for Zak!" I scream at her when my fist collides with her mouth.
Hands are around my waist, lifting me clean off Mia who is led on the floor, panting for air. When she moves, my body surges for her, but Zak tightens his arms around my waist. "Enough." He growls into my ear.
My chest heaves as I watch Mia sit up and spit blood across the floor. We are both bloody, but I'm still vibrating with anger, and Zak still hasn't put me on my own feet.
"Enough." He tells her as I growl. "No more!"
"Put me down." I demand.
He does and I waste no time in walking into the kitchen and grabbing my keys. "What are you doing?"
Stalking over to Mia, I drag her off the floor. "Get your ass up."
She stands, looking at me with a bloodied face, but I know she's given up trying to fight back.
"Elle?" Zak speaks.
"Keep Gracie outside until I've come back and cleaned up. I'm taking her off the community." I tell him opening the front door and shoving her out of it.
"That's a bad idea." Zak says stepping out the front door as I drag Mia to my car.
"Trust me. It is!" I call, before unlocking my car and opening the door. I shove Mia inside and round the car. "I'm coming straight back. I promise and then we will talk."
He nods and I get in my car before shooting out the drive and across town. To one other person who I now know lied.
*****
When Sophie opens the door, she is shocked to find both me and Mia stood at her doorstep, both bloodied and bruising.
"O-oh my god!" She cries. "What happened? Were you attacked? We need to go to a hospital."
"I did it." I tell Sophie, shoving Mia into her house and going straight to the kitchen with her.
"What do you mean?! You did it? You hurt her?"
"We hurt each other." I answer glaring at Mia and pulling the first aid box out of Sophie's cupboard. "She has been blackmailing Zak, but you already knew that, didn't you?"
Sophie's face pales.
"And you knew she was a drug addict. But that day at lunch, you knew all that.. Didn't you?"
"Elle, I can explain.."
"Don't bother. I don't want to hear it. What is done, is done. But she is not getting a single dime out of me and Zak."
Mia laughs. "Wanna bet? I'll destroy his reputation."
"And I'll make sure you see the inside of a prison cell. Zak has CCTV in his home. You hit me first and broke a court order.. Try me, bitch."
"Elle." Sophie chides.
"She wants to fight dirty, then she needs to be prepared for a gutter run. Because I will stop at nothing to protect my own." I tell Sophie before marching out the kitchen.
"He will find someone better than you! You fat ugly bitch!" Mia screams at me.
I stop in my footsteps as Sophie shouts at her, I turn and go back, crouching to Mia's level as she sits in the chair. "I may be fat and ugly, but I have my life in order. I don't have to blackmail people for money for a pathetic little habit. You should be ashamed of yourself. I brought you here with intentions on getting you help. Now I couldn't care if you ended up face down in a ditch."
"Elle enough!" Sophie shouts at me as I stand up.
"Don't worry, I'm leaving."
I step out of Sophie's home and get straight back into my car. I glance at the house feeling a pang of regret for saying that to Mia. I was angry, upset, appalled and a part of me hated her so much. But another part of me still saw the friend I had less than a year ago. Still saw the woman who made me laugh when I wanted to cry.
She was broken, like I was when Cole left and instead of pulling her back to herself, I fought with her.
But she was blackmailing Zak. My mind chimes in remembrance and that was something that wasn't so easily forgotten about.
Was she fixable?
I'd like to think everybody was to some degree, did she deserve my forgiveness? Absolutely not.
Do I want to help her when things have calmed down? Will she accept my help?
Those questions remain unanswered and I still have to speak with Zak. I had wasted too much time thinking about Mia, what she did and is capable of doing. So I start the car and head home.
--------------------
Author note: This idea has been with me from the beginning. But the aftermath of the reveal was something that came as I wrote.
I've stressed over this chapter and finally thought {screw it, I'm posting it. Warts and all}
Hope it was worth the wait, some karma for Mia!
👏🏼👏🏼